Hinge lock clevis



Sept'. u, w23.

L. H. DAMM HINGE LOCK CLEVIS Filed lApril 28 1921 ll i muli* "www" Patented Sent. ll, M923.

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LOUIS H. DAMM, OF GREAT BEND, KANSAS.

HINGE LOCK CLEVIS.

Application filed April 28, 1921.

T 0 all 107mm it may concern.

Be it known that I. Louis H. DAMM, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Great Bend, in the county of Barton and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Hinge Lock Clevises, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to clevises and the object thereof is to provide a device of this character so constructed that it will automatically lock when the pivoted member thereoi' is swung into place.

Another object is to so construct such a device that it has a surface smooth throughout so that there are no protuberances upon which single or double trees may catch should one horse get in 'front ot the other.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features oi: construction as hereinafter shown and described and then speciically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preterred embodiment of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 representsv a side elevation of the clevis constituting this invention with parts broken out and in section, and

Fig. 2 is edge view thereof.

In the embodiment illustrated the clevis 1 constituting this invention is made U- shaped in 'forni comprising a. J-shaped member t having a rectilinear latch member 7 pivotally connected with the short arm thereof as shown at 82L and constituting one arm of the clevis.

A. cross rod 2 connects the free ends of the clevis arms .4- and 7 and is here shown threaded at one end into one end of said clevis arm 4 near the terminal thereof and with its other end tapered and engaged with a correspondingly shaped socket extending transversely of the member 7 near its outer end, where it is held by locking means presently to be described.

The J-shaped member 4 has a longitudinally extending tongue 5 at the terminal of its short arm formed midway the width thereof and is provided on opposite sides ot said tongue at the base thereof with arcuate shoulders 6 with which are designed to be engaged correspondingly shaped terminals or urcations 8 of the member 7, said member being bifurcated to receive between its furcations 8 the tongue 5 and to be hingedly Serial No. 465,186.

connected thereto by a pintle 8, The mem? ber 7 which constitutes what may be termed the latch member is adapted to swing outwardly to release the cross bar 2 for connection of the clevisl with the single or double tree or with any other object with which it is to be used.

The outer end of the member 7 has a longitudinally extending` socket 9 with a re. duced bore 10 at its inner endwhich com-4., municates with the socket extendingtransversely through the member 7.

A looking bolt or pin 11 is mounted to reciprocate in the socket and bore 10 and` has a rounded inner end 12 which when in closed f, operative position 1s designed to enter a correspondingly shaped recess 3 yin the end 3 of the cross-bar 2 as is shown clearly in Fig. 1. The outer end of the pin 11 has a lmiirled head 13 with a shoulder 14 a.t'its.

inner end which when the 'pin is in retracted locking position engages a washer l5 which is secured over the outer end of the socket 9 as is shown clearly in Fig. 1.

A coiled spring 16 encircles the body of the pin within the socket 9 and bears at one end against the washer 15 and at its other against a shoulderl formed at the inner end of the rounded portion 10 of said pin so that when the pin is projected being drawn outl against the tension of said spring 16, the spring will be compressed and when the pin is released will operate to return it to locking position.

By rounding the inner end ot' the pin 11 and Forming a correspondingly shaped recess in the rod end 3 when the latch member 7 is swung` inwardly into operative position over said end 3 the pin 11 will automatically enter said recess in the bolt member without necessitating the withdrawal of the pin by hand to permit such locking action such as is ordinarily necessary in devices of this character.

t is of course understood that this clevis may be made of any desired material preferably of cast iron or steel sutliciently strong to resist the strain to which it may be subjected. The arrangement of the locking pin l1 longitudinally of the latch member 7 and the positioning of the head 13 thereof adj acent the outer end of said member 7 prevents all danger of the pin being accidentally released by contact with surrounding objects.

lt will be readily seen from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings that by retracting lthe pin l1 against the vtension ot the spring it is disengaged troni the notch or recess in the rod 2 thus permitting*the'latch member 7 to be swung clear ol said rod 2 enabling a connecting member to be introduced. By swinging the member 7 inward the transversely formed sockettherein `will engage the tapered end 3 of therod 2 and the semicircularnotch or recess 3 in said end 3 v,will be yengaged by the rounded end 12 ot the pin llthereby locking the latch member 7 securely in position and confining the member with which the clevis iste be con-v nected. If tensile strain is exerted on the connecting member such strain will be taken up by the rod 2 and will be sustained equally bythe member lv and the latch member 7 so that the locking pin 1l will be subjected to no strain whatever.

The rod2 being mounted as shown by threading one end in engagement with the member 4L of the 'clevis provides for its ready replacement in case oi breakage or injury thereto.

The preferred embodiment of the inven-l length ot said latch arm and intersecting the iirst named socket, a connecting rod secured to one end ot said body and having a tapered tree end adapted to enter the transversely arranged socket ot the latch member, and a spring-urged pin mounted in the longitudr nal socket ot said latch and provided with a rounded end, saidntapered rod having a correspondingly shape notch to receive the' pin when the parts are inclosed position.

2. A U-shaped clevis including a T-sha pcd body having a rectilinear latch pivoted at one end to the terminal of the short arm oi said body, said latch and arm having co-operating hinge members, the latch terminating` in a tapered extremity and the pivoted arm having a socket transversely thereof also tapered to receive the tapered end oi the companion arm, and a spring urged pin n1ovable longitudinally in the end ot the so'cketed arm in advance of the socket and having an actuating head extending longitudinally relative to the said latch, said pin being fle-- signed to enter the socket in the latch and engage said rod and. ot a length to remain iiush with the latch arm when locked in position thereon.

A U-shaped clevis having one arm pivoted, and a cross rod .fastened to the clevis and terminating' in a tapered extremity itting a tapered socket in the latch karm and ot a length to remain flush with the arm when positioned therein, and a spring latch provided with a socket receptacle in thevlatch arm and engagingjthe tapered eX- trem'ity ot the fixed memberA of the latch arm.

In testimony whereof, l affix my signature hereto. l

LOUIS H, DAMM. 

